Naivety and Stupidity
by vally27
Summary: Orihime was not naïve. Tatsuki was not stupid. Both were in pain. Tatsuhime.


Well, since I love Yuri, and there's not enough TatsuHime to go around (Not even one whole search page's worth!) I decided to contribute! :) Well, I tried my hand at it. Please tell me if it completely sucks. Thank you in advance.

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Inoue Orihime was not naïve, at least not anymore. Though sometimes it worked in her favor when she acted like it, she was definitely not naïve. Not after all the death she had seen and been a party to. Orihime always was (mostly) aware of her surroundings, but she kept that a secret. It was something she would only to reveal in times of absolute crises. Orihime knew how to manipulate things to her favor, and how to protect herself now.

And now she was so painfully aware of the woman that loved her more than anything in the world.

Orihime knew that she could not get this woman mixed up in this disgusting, deadly game. Shinigami, hollows, death, disaster, betrayal... And so she had to lie to and deceive the only person she would ever hope to love.

Tatsuki...

She knew that Tatsuki loved her, and she saw it everyday in the girl's eyes. A look of longing, so forlorn, with a special glimmer shining in her eyes whenever she had asked her to come over or to come to a movie with her. She saw the vehemence and quiet pain in the girl's eyes as she purposely fawned over Ichigo, trying to drive her away, trying to save her from the world she lived in. She saw the utter devotion whenever she came to Tatsuki's house hurt or breaking down because of the utter chaos raining down around her.

Tatsuki opened her arms without questions, Tatsuki trusted her almost to fault, Tatsuki had always sheltered her, and Orihime hated that about her. She hated that Tatsuki never said anything about it, that she would never inquire into WHY, when she wished that the elder girl would yell it out to the heavens, that she would get angry that she would never speak of why she had come. She hated that Tatsuki trusted her so endearingly, because if Tatsuki were to find out about this life she led, and that she had deceived her... Orihime never wanted to have to finish that sentence.

But she what she hated the most was how Tatsuki sheltered her from the pain of this existence. Tatsuki had been the one to care for her when her brother died, and had continued to do so through all these long years. And so as this young woman protected her so endearingly, Orihime was trying herself to hurt her, to drive her away so she could make Tatsuki happy.

And Orihime hated Tatsuki for all the qualities she had that made the orange-haired girl love her so much.

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Tatsuki was not stupid, she never was. Most people thought it that way since she was sporty, and thought the best in people, sometimes that had worked to her advantage. But she no longer thought the best in people, not after seeing what had gone on in Orihime's past. When she had met her, other girls had been harassing her, and her brother had just died, leaving the poor girl alone in the world. Tatsuki stepped right up to protect her. She never knew why, the only answer she ever came up with was that the girl deserved a friend to stick up for her. That was the day she had made her best friend.

Tatsuki slowly started to spend more and more time with the girl; making sure that Orihime was safe became her first priority. But she was not ready for when it smashed right into her face, that she loved her best friend. It was just a normal day, boring really. When she had just fixed her eyes on the carrot-top and began to let her mind drift.

'_Heh, Orihime, I wonder what you're thinking about... Probably some crazy food you're going to cook tonight... I wonder... What those lips would feel like...'_

Tatsuki bolted up in sudden shock at her own thoughts. People looked back at her in surprise but she bought it off as a sudden twitch. She decided against her mind's wishes to delve in deeper to why she thought that. And then it had hit her when they were walking home together. It was a simple action that set it off. Orihime just smiled kindly and thanked Tatsuki for always being there.

Her answer almost left her lips in complete simplicity,_ 'I don't mind, I love you.'_

Tatsuki stopped herself abruptly, excused herself, and ran home.

That had been two years ago.

And now she stood valiantly at Orihime's side, her heart screaming out in pain as her mind muddled in it, and tried to drown out those feelings. The feelings of love and of confusion and hurt. She was not stupid, though Orihime must have thought she was. Because she most definitely thought Tatsuki knew nothing about the world she had plunged into. But she knew that if Orihime wanted to tell her the red-head would, but it still was a stabbing sensation at her heart.

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But the most painful for both of them was when Orihime was taken to Heuco Mundo. Orihime was forced along, she had to leave or else she would put in danger her most precious people. Tatsuki could no longer feel her best friend, her love. She could not sense her at all. She thought the worst, and could not help but slip into a depression.

When Orihime was back Tatsuki cried. Not in front of everyone of course. But she had cried; from the relief, from the feeling of complete and utter emptiness leaving, and from happiness. Tatsuki knew she couldn't leave this as it was. She had to say something before another incident happened.

And so here they were sitting on a park bench in the cold, watching fireworks light up the sky.

Tatsuki reached out and clasped Orihime's hand. The carrot-top looked away from the fireworks and locked her eyes onto the small rough hand clasping hers.

"Orihime..." Tatsuki almost whispered.

Orihime let her eyes travel up the arm of the woman holding onto her hand so tightly until she was locking eyes with Tatsuki. Tatsuki took a deep breath, her eyes broadcasting how scared she was to speak at the moment.

"I know about everything you know... About what's been going on with you and your powers..." Tatsuki paused to gauge Orihime's reaction.

The large breasted girl was tense, definitely shocked, and she seemed to be struggling for words to say. Tatsuki cut her off before she had a chance, she had to finish what she was saying.

So Tatsuki continued on, her voice not loud and strong as it usually was, but vulnerable and hesitant, "Orihime, I am totally okay with that, you were always strong anyway... But... I could lose you... I would die if that were to happen Orihime... Because I love you."

Tatsuki stared into those gray eyes as they grew soft and began to fill with tears.

"This wasn't supposed to happen Tatsuki," She choked out, as she tried to pull away from the other girl.

"You were supposed to go be happy with some other person or something, not with me..."

Tatsuki grabbed Orihime's other hand and kept her firmly in place, "That can't happen Orihime. I love you too much to ever be happy with anyone else."

Tears streamed down the orange-haired girl's cheeks as she collapsed slightly into Tatsuki's arms, sobs racking her body. The two sat there like that until Orihime stopped shaking. She picked her head up hesitantly from the shelter of Tatsuki's shoulder.

"T-Tatsuki…"

Tatsuki gently ran a hand through Orihime's silken orange locks, "Yes?"

Orihime pecked her lips chastely and buried her head into the crook of Tatsuki's neck, "I love you too."

Tatsuki sighed in contentment and the two sat together, happily enjoying the other's company under the blanket of the huge black sky. It did not matter that they were on a bench in a freezing park.

… Or maybe it did.

Tatsuki gathered up the other girl and high-tailed it to warmer ground. Hoping to snuggle in warmer places. But it didn't matter to her, as long as she could hold the woman she loved more than life itself.


End file.
